Casino news source: The Canadian Citizen - http://www.canada.com
Casino wants to double size, serve liquor on game floor
Plans also call for live entertainment, poker room at View Royal facility
Bill Cleverley and Louise Dickson, Times Colonist
Published: Friday, September 28, 2007
The Great Canadian Casino in View Royal is planning a significant expansion that would see it almost double its floor space, build a lounge for live entertainment and add a teletheatre where patrons could watch sporting events and bet on live horse races.
But whether it will get municipal council's approval to serve alcohol throughout the building -- even on the gaming floor -- is anyone's bet.
"We are proposing a full-service lounge in which I believe we will get liquor approval. Obviously, we would like to be able to get liquor approval throughout the entire facility as we have with our other properties in Richmond and Coquitlam," said Howard Blank, Great Canadian's vice-president of media and entertainment.
Indeed, Blank says the expanded casino would be patterned after the successful River Rock Casino in Richmond.
But any proposal to serve liquor on the gaming floor would be "hotly debated" by municipal council, View Royal Mayor Graham Hill said yesterday. Council needs to sign off on the expansion before it can go ahead.
"Council has a good regard for the GCC and the way they run their business. ... The lottery corporation has a messaging campaign that says 'play within your limits.' I know that members of council have a sense that liquor on the gaming floor could interfere with judgment."
While the casino would like council to approve the liquor proposal, the expansion is not necessarily contingent on that, Blank said.
He said the existing facility, which opened in December 2001, is "antiquated," and there's a demand for a bigger space.
"We've been at and exceeding capacity on numerous occasions," he said.
The casino now has a floor area of about 32,000 square feet and features 437 slot machines, 24 table games and food and beverage areas.
The redevelopment proposal includes increasing the existing floor area by about 24,000 square feet to accommodate new gaming facilities, including more slots, a poker room and a teletheatre. The company is planning to expand food and beverage facilities to include a new lounge, which would feature live entertainment.
The company has an agreement to purchase an additional 1.5 acres adjacent to its existing facilities (a vacant oil-change property) and wants to expand the parking lot by 380 spaces.
Blank said parking has been "a huge problem" at the View Royal site.
"There's been many people who have just turned around who can't come in because our lots are full," he said.
People at the casino yesterday welcomed the expansion plans.
"It's hard to get to the slot machines, especially at nighttime," said Bill Whittet. "Usually, we come on a Friday night and never get near a machine."
"That's why we're here tonight," added his wife, Diana. "We're not coming on the weekends."
New Brunswick visitors Belva Carlen and Bessie O'Brien agreed more space is needed -- particularly for parking.
Two days ago, they parked their car across the street because the casino parking lot was full. Luckily, when they went back across the street they were $160 and $245 richer. |
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